Improvement in car-starters



H. P. HOLT. Car-Starter.

a No. 211,015. .Patented Dec`;.17,1878.

NlTED STATE-S PATENT HENRY l?. HOLT, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEM ENT IN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification forming part of Lcttcrs Patent No. 211,015, dated Dccemhcr 17, 1878 application filed November l, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that Il', HENRY Pnncv HoL'r, of Royal Insurance Buildings, Leeds, in the county of York, in that part of the United Kingdom called England, civil engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railwayar Starters, which improvements are set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for facilitating the starting of tramway-cars drawn either by mechanical or animal power. The motive power is applied to a draw-bar, so as -to draw it out at starting any suitable limited distance at a greater velocity than the motion of the car, and thus utilize this limited forward movement of the draw-har in excess of that of the car to pull round the car-wheels at the time of starting through the medium of devices connecting said draw bar with a ratehetpawl and a ratchet-wheel on the forward axle.

My invention consists of certain combinations and arrangement of devices for applying the forward movement of the draw-har to the car-axle at the time of starting, for disconnectin g and holding out of gear the moving or starting parts after the car is put in motion, to allow the axle to run free, and for locking such parts out of gear to allow the carto run in an opposite direction hy a similar starting device at its other end. f

The ratchetpawl is made to engage with a ratchetwheel fixed on the axle by a spur-pinion fitted loosely upon an axis s stem, upon which said pawl is fixed, said pinion being adapted toengage with a segmental rack attached to the ear-frame, and both the pinion and pawl arranged upon an arm which turns loosely upon the axle, and which is connected with the draw-har. The pinion and ratchetwheel have a frictional contact, which, while serving to engage the pawl and ratchet-wheel at the commencement of the forward movenient of the draw-har, serves also to allow the pawl to he thrown and held out of contact with said ratchet-wheel after the car has been started, and independent of the pinion-andrack connection.

The segmental rack while hein g fixed to the car-frame is adapted to conform to the spring of the car-body, so as not to interfere with its pinionconnection. The pinion is adapted to traverse in a segmental guide or rack-bridle, and the flange of the latter has a spur or tooth Vat its inner end arranged to enter a notch in a friction-disk iixed on the pawl-stem for the purpose of locking the pawl when thrown back and out of the range of the ratchet-wheel when the starting device is not used, or when the car is to he run in an opposite direction by the other end starting device.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a top view of a part of a car-frame and wheels having my improvedstarting device applied thereto, and in the position it occupies when the car is standing 5 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, a similar view, the parts being in the positions they occupy when the car has been started; Fig. 4, a similar view, showing the pawl away from the ratchetwheel after the car has been started; Fic'. 5, a section throughk the pawlaxis, showin g its frictional connection with the rack-pinion; Fig. 6, views of the segmental rack, with its end locking spur or tooth, and the friction-disk for holding the pawl out of gear when not in use; and Fig. 7, the ratchetpawl connecting devices inclosed by a ease, and showing the friction-disk with a frictionwasher.

The motive power is attached to a drawhar, a, arranged to have a limited movement of its own, so as to pull out at starting the car with a more rapid movement than that of theV car, and until arrested by a collar, b, com ing against a guide-stop, c, on the car, when the car is then drawn hy said bar.

The draw-har is connected with a ratchetpawl device for turning the forward axle, A, a distance equal to the excess of the. motion of said har over that of the car. This connection, is by means of a multiplying-lever, d, pivoted at one end to one side of the can frame, and connected at its other end vto the inner end of the draw-har, these unitedl ends being supported by a swinging rod, e, pivoted to the opposite side of the car, so that the front stop, c, and the swinging rod c support the draw-bar and the inner end of the multi plyinglever.

The multiplying lever d is connected by a chain or rod, f, to a vertical arm, g, which' works loosely on the car-axle, and supports and carries a horizontal loosely-fitting' stem, h, upon one end of which the ratchet-pawl e' is fixed, and upon the other end is loosely mounted a spur-pinion, j, so as to work into a segmental rack, k', attached, by a joint-rod, 7c', to the car-frame, so as to be xed with regard to the fore-and-aft line of the car, and to allow for the spring of the car-body, the rack being supported upon the pawl-stem and coliforming to the arc described by the pinion in applyiu g the pawl to the ratchet-wheel B, which is iixed upon the axle so as to pull the latter vround as the draw-bar is drawn out.

Africti'on device is combined with the ratchet-pawl t and the pinion j for two purposesto cause the pawl to be turned down to engage with the ratchet-wheel B at the moment the draw-bar commences its outward movement and to allow the pawl to free itself from the ratchet-wheel when the draw-bar is at the limit of its forward movement and is drawing the car by the stop. This friction' device consists of a collar or disk, l, fixed on the ratchet-stem h so as to bear against the arm g, turning loosely on the axle, I and against this collar or disk Z the Ipinion j is pressed by a spiral spring, fm, Fig. 5, arranged upon the stem h, between said pinion and an adjusting-nut, n, on the end of the stem opposite to that which carries the pawl fi, so that the spring acts to bind the pinion against the collar or disk l on the axis-stem h with suflicient force to turn said stem and bring the pawl down on the ratchet-wheel at the moment of starting and by the turning of the pinion, which the draw-bar effects by the pulling forward of the arm g, which carries said pinion. As soon as the pawl strikes the ratchet-wheel the pinion then turns idly upon its stem during the remaining. forward movement of the arm g, which is limited by the collar b on the draw-bar, and which limited movement determines the starting of the car. The moment the collar b strikes thestop c the car receives a sudden impetus, which, in connection with a weighted arm, r, of the pawl, causes it to overcome the friction of the stem collar or disk l and be thrown out from the ratchet-wheel, so that the latter turns free of the pawl. The movement of the pawl is only sufficient to engage and free it from the ratchet-wheel, and when so freed, when the cars are running, its weighted end is supported by a stop, s, on the arm g, as shown in Fig. 4. rIhis disengaging movement of the pawl is made independent of the pinion, becausethe pawl-stem turns loosely in the pinion, which does not turn at this time; but in engaging the pawl the pinion turns the pawl-stem by the frictional bearing-disk. The segmental rack 7thas aange, t, which forms the bridle or slot t', through which the pinionstem l1, passes, and within which it moves with the axle-arm g, so as to support the rack, as the flan ge t forms a bearing-way for the collar or disk l of the pinion-stein, and the spring of the car-body is thus without any binding effect upon the rack-and-pinion connection.

- In connection with the friction collar or disk l a friction-washer, u,l(shown in Fig. 7,) may be interposed between said collar and the spur-pinion to receive the frictional pressure of said pinion, to render the friction device reliable in its stated functions.

As stated, the car is t. provided at each end with a starting` device to adapt the car to be drawn from either end, and in order to hold the ratchet-pawl outof gear at one end of the maoar, while the other pawl device is in use, I

provide the flange t of the rack-bridle k with a tooth or spur, w, arranged at its inner end, and in such a position as to enter a notch, z, in the circumference of the collar or disk l ot the pawl, and lock the pawl out of gear, as shown in Fig. 6. As `the friction-disk andthe pawl are fixed to their carrying-stem 7L the turning movement of the disk is limited by the extent of the engaging and disengaging movement of the pawl, so that the movement of the arm g to its, inner position with regard to the center of the car and the action of the weighted arm r of said pawl will always turn the disk so as to bring its notch in position to receive the locking-tooth.

rlhe pawl-carrying arm g may be fitted on bosses of the ratchet-wheel, as in Fig.. 7, instead of on the axle.

A spring, t, attached to the draw-bar and to the car-frame, or otherwise arranged, serves to retract the draw-bar when the ear has stopped, or to place the device in position to start the car, or when the device is not in use, while the stop c limits the inward movement of the pawl-carrying arm.

The bearing-stop c and the draw-bar ci are provided with holes to receive a pin for locking the two together when the starting device is not used, as shown in Fig. 2.

Any suitable ratio of advantage at starting may be given to the motor, which, in most cases, I prefer to arrange to travel double the distance of the car during the same length of time for the first few feet at starting, and under these conditions only about ve-ninths of the usual amount of power is required to start the car.

A check-chain may be used for pulling the pawl out of gear with the ratchet-wheel at such time as the arm g has completed its for. ward stroke and the car is running. So, also, a spring maybe used for the purpose of drawing the pawl out of gear with the ratchetwheel when the arm g is in its extreme inner or backward position, so as to allow the car to run in an opposite direction to that in which this end apparatus is intended to work. The wheels C are, as usual, xed upon the axles.

The ratchet-wheel, pawl, and the connectingrack device may be covered by a suitable case, as shown in Fig. 7. 1

I claimi 1. The combination, with the axle ratchet-- 4 wheel B, of a pawl and an actuating-pinion tween the carrying device g and the pinion j,

and a spring bearing upon said pinion, and adapted for operation with the axle-ratchet, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The paivl lzT, having' a weighted arm, 1^, and combined with the loosely-turning pinion j, tbe rack, and the friction device, for operation in disengaging the pawl after the car is started.

4. The rack-bridle pivoted to the car-frame and supported npon the axle by the arm g, in combination with the rack and pinion j k, the ratchet, pawl, and the friction device, adapted for operation as described, and allow for the spring; of the car-body independent of the rack-and-pinion connection with the car-axle,

5. The starting device adapted for engagenient and disengagement with the axleratchet by means of the rack, the shiftingpinion, the pavvl, and the friction device, in combination with the multiplying-lever d, the connectingrocl e, arranged for operation substantially as described.

6. The device for holding the ratchet-pawl out of gear when not in use, consisting of the tooth 'w in the bridle-rack and the notch Z in the friction collar or disk fixed on the ratchetstem and interlocking, as stated.

7. The combination, with the Weighted ratchet-pand 'i r, the loosely-turning` carrier g, the looselyturning pinion j, and the rackbridle, of the stop-pin s on said carrier, for the purpose stated.

8. A car-starting device consist-ing of the axle ratchet-Wheel B, the Weighted ratchet t', the loosely-turning arm g, the loosely-turning pinion j, the bridle-rack k, the friction device Z m, the multiplying-lever d, and the draw-bar connected With the pinion and ratchet-carrying arm, for operation substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand'in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

HENRY PERGY HOLT. Witnesses:

GEO. F. Grumman, JOHN G. WrLLrs. 

